Years of discussion surrounding over-the-counter versus limited hunting in the Gunnison area culminated in a recent regulation change specific to bull elk hunting in the northern Gunnison Basin.
At the Parks and Wildlife Commission (PWC) Meeting held Jan. 14-15 at the headquarters of Colorado Parks and Wildlife in Denver, the commission approved CPW’s staff recommendation to eliminate over-the-counter (OTC) hunting licenses for bull elk that had previously been available during the second and third rifle seasons in Game Management Units (GMUs) 54, 55 and 551 in the northern Gunnison Basin.
This management shift now aligns with GMUs 66 and 67 in the southern Gunnison Basin, which were converted to totally limited for elk licenses in 1999. The entire Gunnison Basin is now completely limited across all hunt codes, and hunters will need to plan on applying for elk licenses in these GMUs through the annual draw process. For the 2026 hunting seasons, draw applications are due by 8 p.m. on April 7.
To phase into this new model, staff have proposed that bull license numbers for the second and third rifle seasons initially be set near the three-year average or reduced by no more than 10% of the number of OTC licenses used across the three GMUs. A phase-in period would maintain a high level of hunting opportunity while managers assess demand and draw statistics. Final license numbers are approved annually at the May PWC meeting.
“Our elk management objectives have not changed and are outlined in our local Herd Management Plans,” said CPW Area Wildlife Manager Brandon Diamond, who oversees CPW operations in Gunnison. “We are still managing toward a bull-cow ratio and a population objective. However, we now will have a more surgical ability to adjust bull licenses in response to herd dynamics, local and statewide events such as severe winters and wildfires, and we also can help manage toward hunter preferences and hunt experience. Limited licensing doesn’t mean severe restriction in opportunity, but it certainly changes how you get a license in your hand each year.”
Diamond and CPW’s Southwest Region Senior Wildlife Biologist Jamin Grigg credited local stakeholders for their leadership, collaboration and extensive work in surveying the public to gauge interest in making the change.
“We have been discussing this issue for most of my career, with strong opinions on all sides,” Diamond said. “There are pros and cons for most decisions we make, but in instances where we have flexibility in management, community opinion matters. Our commission has been engaged in this discussion for several years and has been hearing from the Gunnison community throughout that time.”
In 2025, the Gunnison Wildlife Association (GWA) hosted informational meetings in partnership with CPW to discuss current status of local herds and explore pros and cons of limited licenses.
GWA conducted online surveys of the public and received responses from hunters, ranchers, outfitters, local business owners, non-hunter wildlife watchers and non-resident hunters.
Surveys showed 70% of Gunnison Basin residents supported converting OTC bull elk licenses to limited, and another 15% said they may support the concept depending on specifics of the proposal.
“Gunnison Wildlife Association’s support for these license changes reflects our continued push for adaptive, science-based management of our resources in a manner that puts wildlife first,” said GWA President Cody Dyce. “The outcome of this proposal also is testament to the importance of public involvement in wildlife management decisions and collaboration with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and other stakeholders to address wildlife concerns. We send our heartfelt thanks to Gunnison Basin community members and other stakeholders who weighed in on this important issue and helped shape Gunnison Wildlife Association’s perspective.”
The potential for statewide elk license limitations was one of the primary topics of discussion during the public comment period leading up to the adoption of the 2025-29 Big Game Season Structure (BGSS). While the PWC ultimately did not adopt a BGSS framework to limit second and third rifle season licenses for elk statewide, limitations were advocated for by members of the Gunnison Basin community during public meetings and throughout the BGSS public comment process.
“I give all the credit to local hunters standing up for the resource and supporting the local and regional biologists with tools to manage the elk herd in the Gunnison Basin,” said Roger Cesario, who represents the Southwest Region on CPW’s Sportspersons Roundtable. “Biologists can now set tag numbers based on local conditions, terrain, access, bull to cow ratios, cow to calf ratios, winter kill, depredation, winter range, etc.”
Discussions surrounding total limitations in the Gunnison Basin go back decades, which resulted in full license limitations in the southern Gunnison Basin units in 1999 as well as archery license limitations in 2010 for GMUs 54, 55 and 551. In 2009, the Gunnison County Stockgrowers’ Association officially proposed converting remaining OTC bull elk licenses to limited.
More recently, advocacy for limiting rifle licenses during the second and third seasons increased after implementation of the 2020-24 BGSS. The 2020-2024 structure was markedly different from previous structures in that it included significantly longer breaks between seasons, resulting in season dates falling later on the calendar.
Later season dates created a myriad of management issues that have been scrutinized since implementation. In the Gunnison Basin, the primary issue had been increased vulnerability to hunting for migratory elk in heavily roaded, sagebrush-dominated GMUs, where bull hunting had been unlimited during the second and third rifle seasons.
“Colorado elk are a limited resource with unlimited pressure,” said Cesario. “Early snows have a big effect on the elk herd in the Gunnison Basin. Early snows not only move elk out of the high country into sagebrush valleys where they are extremely vulnerable, it also concentrates hunters into smaller areas contributing to all sorts of questionable behavior. This has occurred in the majority of the past 10 hunting seasons and contributes to high kill rates, high wound loss, trespassing, lowering of bull to cow ratios, cow to calf ratios and hunter crowding.”
The newly adopted 2025-29 BGSS was somewhat modified from the previous structure. However, the overall structure still generally facilitated a high level of vulnerability for bull elk during the unlimited second and third rifle seasons based on the perpetuation of longer breaks and later season dates.
Diamond acknowledged this is a significant change for OTC bull hunters and wildlife managers in the area.
“There will be an adjustment period as we learn how this change will impact various aspects of our local hunting culture,” Diamond said. “For example, there is potential to displace bull hunters into neighboring OTC units, and these units will now be integrated into the Landowner Preference Program. We’ll be monitoring all changes closely over the coming years.”
Diamond said he is thankful for the Gunnison community that continues to advocate for actions that best support the long-term health of wildlife and for the years of ongoing communication among a multitude of stakeholders.
“The Gunnison Basin is well known for its rich and healthy wildlife resources,” said Will Shoemaker, Secretary of the Gunnison Wildlife Association. “Put simply, this change provides the best solution for guaranteeing the health and sustainability of our world-renowned elk herds.”
Written by John Livingston. John is the Southwest region public information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
